Junior Astronomers, Diarrhea Planet, The So So Glos, Serfs

Junior Astronomers

Continually on the move since forming in 2007, with only two EPs to their name, Junior Astronomers have toured and shared stages with the likes of Harvard, The Weeks, Dignan, Color Revolt, Des Ark, and Polvo. Poised to not take a break in the near future the North Carolina natives bring with them a promise, there is an elemental energy that lies in-between art and craft.

Diarrhea Planet

Diarrhea Planet is a six-piece rock and roll band from Nashville, TN. Their sound has
often been described as The Ramones holding Van Halen hostage with an arsenal of
ﬁreworks and explosives. Diarrhea Planet's four guitarists provide enough riffs to make
Jack Black squeal like a schoolgirl, while lead singer Hodan delivers enough hooks to
straighten the curl out of Justin Timberlake's hair. In a world of unintelligible lo-ﬁ
recording, reverb drenched vocals, and tuneless guitars, Diarrhea Planet aims to put the
backbone back into rock and roll.
The band initially formed in the Spring of 2009 with drummer Casey, and two guitarists
Jordan Smith and Evan P. Donohue. That fall the band decided to ﬂesh out their sound
with bass and a third guitar, adding Mike Boyle and Brent Toler. They self-released the
ﬁve song EP, Aloha, in November. The album sounded like a mix between an
uncontrollable college party and a gut-wrenching Tae Bo workout. With the Mediaﬁre
link popping up on a variety of blogs, Aloha became a sleeper online sensation.
Perhaps due to the unusual band name, the EP garnered around 1,500 downloads in its
ﬁrst week online. By the time the band took down the Mediaﬁre link early the next year,
The EP had collected over 10,000 downloads.
In the summer of 2010, Evan P. Donohue decided to focus on his own music and left
Diarrhea Planet. The band quickly adopted shredders Evan Bird and Emmett Miller,
generating Diarrhea Planet's most empowering line-up. The band shifted some of their
focus from delinquent party rock to slightly more sophisticated songwriting and guitar
theatrics that will make every living guitar hero cry out of joy and/or despair. After this
change-up, the band played an exhausting amount of local shows. They have opened
for acts such as Wavves, Fucked Up, Jeff the Brotherhood, Andrew Jackson Jihad,
Deﬁance OH, Jacuzzi Boys, The Spits, and The Coathangers. They have also played a
variety of basements, warehouses, frat bars, and dorm rooms. The overwhelming
volume and sheer brutality of their live onslaught satiates those who crave power and
thunder, while the meek grovel on the beer-soaked ﬂoor. The wall of heavy riffage and
intricate shredding infuses audiences with enough electrical energy to stave off sleep for
the rest of the weekend. Despite their leanings towards punk and heavy metal, Diarrhea
Planet swears by the Bible of pop. With a distinct emphasis on vocal hooks and
harmonies, their shows often morph into massive, drunken sing-alongs.

The So So Glos

The So So Glos are rock n roll band of brothers from Brooklyn, New York who formed in 2007- a band that has taken their own 21st century slang term and re-appropriated it to define themselves. The band has said that they call themselves by the street term as incentive to combat this type of behavior.

The band itself is made up. They\'re made up of Alex Levine, of Ryan Levine, of Matt Elkin and of Zach Staggers . Through divorce and remarriage, brothers Alex, Ryan and step brother Zach were grouped together at a very young age.

In Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, the three started a rock and roll group. Without fully knowing how to play or tune their instruments the group was born in 1991.

Their earliest recordings were done on tape cassette and have often been described as "punk" sounding. Critics and historians have much debated over whether this decision to sound punk was intentional, or that its youngest member (alex) was three years old at the time. Despite differences in opinion by historians, they continued to grow as did the "rough around the edges " sound that would go on to define the band.

THE YEARS PASSED......

After countless moves and changes growing up, the boys adopted their current name in 2007 and rededicated themselves to playing music they believe in. The near grown boys now found themselves lost in a rehashed world where "too cool" attitudes reigned and dancing was out of style.

Frustrated with the status quo and bored with party goers and scenesters, the group began recording an album. Working with childhood friend and producer Adam Reich, they completed and self released their eponymous debut within the year. The album was recorded in a series of after hours sessions in a Staten Island studio. (Much was recorded with singer Alex\'s jaw wired shut after a brotherly fist fight left it broken.)

Their "long lost brother" Matt Elkin joined the group in October 2007 and with new found energy the band hit the road on the first of many D.I.Y. American tours. Inspired by the various punk houses and art spaces along their travels, the band co founded an all - ages venue in Brooklyn named the Market Hotel.

While living at the market, the band began writing and recording Tourism / Terrorism, released in fall 2008. The touring and the terrorism continued, they stumbled forward.

THE HOUSE OF GLASS

A pivotal moment came in 2009 when (along with Adam Reich) the boys helped to establish "Shea Stadium", an all ages performance space/ recording studio in Brooklyn.

EPILOGUE

Some more time passed, and some of their dreams came true. They shared the stage with legends The Pogues, another EP was recorded (with the help of Mr. Nicolas Vernhes), and they completed a new album. The new album , "Blowout" has yet be released but has been described by all as "a triumph". "A real victory for the underdog." "A big step for the little guy."

What more can be said about these boys?

They've definitely re-defined the term "so so glo" and have done a lot of positive things for themselves and their community. Not bad for a bunch of runts who's name was previously defined as being apathetic and self obsessed, ey?

I think it's safe to say that they certainly have flipped the meaning of a word that they made up ! Good for them. They''ve come a long way. Except for one thing. They're still writing their own bio and trying to pass it off as if they didn't. What a bunch of fuckin' New York, D.I.Y. so so glos.